Definition

Noun: 1. The act of confessing one's sins to a priest and receiving absolution: In historical and religious contexts, "shrift" refers specifically to the sacrament of confession and penance, where a person confesses sins to a priest and is given a prescribed penance or absolution. 2. Confession or acknowledgment: More broadly, it can refer to an act of confessing or disclosing something.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The knight sought shrift from the priest before the battle. (The knight sought confession and absolution from the priest before the battle.)
  • In medieval times, receiving shrift was an important part of spiritual preparation.
  • (Figurative) He gave no shrift to his critics, refusing to acknowledge their arguments. (He gave no confession or acknowledgment to his critics.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• "short shrift": This is the most common modern usage. It is an idiom meaning cursory or dismissive treatment; very little time or attention given.
  • The manager gave my proposal short shrift, dismissing it without a proper review.
  • The complicated issue was given short shrift in the news report.
  • Historically, "short shrift" referred to the brief time allowed for a condemned person to make a confession before execution.

Variants and Related Words

• Shrive (verb, archaic): To hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve (someone).
  • The priest would shrive the penitent.
• Shriven (past participle): Having been absolved after confession.
  • He felt at peace, having been shriven of his sins.

Synonyms

• Confession: The act of admitting one's sins or faults.
• Absolution: Formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment (especially in a religious context).
• Penance: A voluntary self-punishment to show repentance for sin.

Idioms

• Give short shrift (to someone/something): To treat someone or something dismissively and with little patience or attention.
  • Any ideas that didn't fit his plan were given short shrift.
• Get short shrift: To receive dismissive treatment.
  • Her complaints got short shrift from the authorities.

Noun

1. the act of being shriven